HH Swami Chidanandaji’s Australian Program–1999

Sri Swami Chidananda was born in 1916 in South India as Sridhar Rao. At an early age, devotional songs and stories from Hindu scriptures inspired him. Later, he had a brilliant scholastic career at Loyola Catholic institution. Here, Sridhar was able to gain thorough knowledge of Christian ideals of compassion and service to humanity through teachings of Jesus Christ. He was then in a position to synthesize knowledge from both Hindu and Christian faiths; he was able to see Jesus in Krishna.

To follow his spiritual pursuits, Sridhar became a disciple of Swami Sivananda in 1943. Swami Sivananda is the founder of The Divine Life Society in Rishikesh located on the banks of the Ganges River at the foothills of Himalays in India. On 10th July 1949, Sridhar was initiated into the holy order of sanyasa by His Holiness Swami Sivanandaji as Swami Chidananda. Chidananda means: “One who is in the highest consciousness and bliss”.

Under guidance of Swami Sivananda, Swami Chidananda delivered lecturers on Vedanta, Bhagwad Gita and spirituality in India and abroad. He has also written several books on these topics. His activities in the Ashram also included attending to the sick.

In 1963, when Swami Sivananda took Mahasamadhi, Swami Chidananda Maharaj became the President of The Divine Life Society.

The mission of The Divine Life Society is to spread cultural and spiritual knowledge, establish and run educational institutions and medical clinics and to help orphans and destitute.